If that is merely consolation, then we are spoiled indeed!
Well the price is right at the moment
Itâs going on sale after the weekend. $90 will get you the hornet, the Flanker-D and the gulf. If I am not mistaken, one of the F-14 campaigns that will be included with the purchase takes place in the Gulf, so you needed that anyway 
So technically, youâre just paying $40 for both the bug and the Flanker-D.
Iâm in UK so would the sale still happen here? Iâm not sure if it a worldwide sale or merely the US. Be a shame to be missed out!
I was going to buy the PG map either way as it looks so cool. Just a lot of money to drop at once as I wasnât sure of a definite f14 release. But now I really think I may need to get get the bug as I love the a10c module but I really want some A2A action and waiting for tomcat is killing me lol.
I was doing some training with a guy last week who just happened to mention waiting for the f14 as well and I asked him is the heatblur countdown the first thing you look at in the morning and he just looked at me with the sad eyes and nodded slowly. I know how you feel baby⊠I know how you feel 
Yeah, you can participate in the sale. The store is global.
The sale applies to both Steam and the ED official store. The Bug is a great way to get started and familiar with DCS carrier operations and is probably about 50% of the fun of it. Further, the Bug has a lot more growth potential as it will be able to employ a wider variety of systems and munitions. The Su-33 isnât bad either and is probably more similar to how the Tomcat will feel, but it has certain limitations that make it a bit different, namely being less complex FC/MAC grade.
Both are a great way to cut your teeth into the sim and prepare for the Tomcat, which we probably wonât even get access to until late December.
Thatâs great advice. I am always slightly worried by the fc modules. Iâve admittedly never tried one and a couple of them do take my fancy. Is there much difference other than clickable cockpits? Are systems and flight models a lot more basic? What would be the main differences?
I love the look of the su 33. But the fact I have to remember so many keyboard combinations and not cockpit positions is a little off putting. I think I may just have a thing for flipping switches and twisting knobs. I watched a few vids of people doing bit tests on the hornet and I love the depth of the simulation. Would I be missing out on all that with fc and the 33? Sorry for so many questions but itâs nice to get opinions rather than reading reviews. Thanks
Welcome to mudspike vic,
The -33 has far less depth in systems modelling, but its flight model is right up there with the hog, the bug and the other âfull fatâ modules. In fact, I find the Su-27 and -33 more fun to fly than the hornet, because they are analogue and quirky as opposed to clean fly by wire smoothness.
I drive all of the FC3 planes purely off the HOTAS. They have some systems simplified and almost all of it fits a warthog stick/throttle neatly. I may even have some switches left over. If not, Voice Attack can pick up the slack. The eagle is boring imo, but flankers are fun and beautiful.
Get the bug. If all you did was hogging around, and you want to get your tomcat on, you need to learn A2A and a whole heaping lot of it. You need to Yo-Yo and F-Pole and chainsaw and feel the zoom in the boom. Get the bug/su-33/gulf pack and drink a few beers less. You will not regret it.
EDIT: Now if your really want to do âsome of that pilot â â â â â you need to et yourself the Mig-15Bis. That thing is a work of beauty. And so much fun to fly and fight. Those guns, the way it moves. Just great.
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Word to the wise: Both -27 and -33 are FBW aircraft. They were specifically mechanized in such a way to fly like an F-5 with the control surfaces shot up because it was felt constant G trimming would make the pilot complacent.
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They feel far more analogue than the bug, the mirage and even the F-15 to me. I take it early 80s soviet FBW is quite different from early 90s western stuff.
The control scheme for the Mirage and Hornet are both comparable in time frame to the Flanker: late 70s early 80s. My understanding was this is less to due with lack of knowledge or experience, but moreso a deliberate choice due to preference of the Design Bureau and Test Pilots.
Russians have always made weird choices when it comes to pilot ergonomics.
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WellâŠmaybe soâŠbut on 8 October, I can still grab my HOTAS and make Vroom-Vroom sounds while listening to âHighway to the Danger Zoneâ on my iPhoneâŠthat will be enough for me. 
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Nah, listen to âFear the Bonesâ instead, get you pumped up for the Heatblur F-14 in specific!
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Excellent stuff guys thanks for taking the time. This is exactly why I signed up for mudspike. Iâm definitely gonna take the plunge and get the bug.
I do like the look of the Mig 15 now you mention it, but how does it Compare to the sabre? I saw them both fly at duxford airshow in the UK a couple of summers ago and I must say the sabre looked so graceful and purposeful in the air that it cemented my love for it.
They were tail chasing for a few laps of the air base and it looked so much better in the air. I know they were fairly evenly matched in Korea but how do they stack up against each other in DCS. Again sorry for bombarding everyone with yet more questions but reviews just donât cut it with these things and they are a lot of money.
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Donât be sorry, itâs what weâre here for.
I prefer the MiG to the Sabre. It is more exotic, feels less heavy yet has a far weightier punch. The systems of the MiG are positively primitive. You get a radio that can do some NDB homing and thatâs it.
Sabre has more systems, she can carry sidewinders, a ranging radar gunsight and has some sort of primitive bombing computer. She also is a gorgeous jet to look at.
I own both but for reasons have learned the MiG well, and have only flown the sabre a couple of times so far. Both need a steady hand on the throttle and get into problems nearing mach 1.
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Thatâs an interesting reply schrurem. I wasnât aware the sabre had the sidewinder capability in dcs. I assumed (wrongfully) that they would both be guns only and leave the missiles for later aircraft. Thatâs interesting to me as Iâm assuming that the extra equipment would make the sabre a lot heavier and compromised in the dogfight. Offset of course by the longer range of the heaters. This is why I am loving DCS.
As I said previously I saw both fly at duxford and aside from being one of those moments you never forget seeing they clearly were not giving it 100 percent but if Iâm honest the sabre seemed to hold its turns cleaner and definitely more sprightly in the climb. I forget what model it was but didnât have any visable hardpoints from what I remember. I canât wait to try both out now and see the difference. Excellent thanks
Not really. The MiG does have an advantage in thrust, and it is a lighter aircraft so it climbs better. However the Saber is a later model, with a more powerful engine, so the gap isnât as wide as you would imagine. Furthermore the Saber is one of the first combat aircraft equipped with a hydraulically boosted all moving tail. Above 400 Knots the MiG has serious issues maintaining turn rate due to the pilot being physically unable to manipulate the controls. Faster than that, and elevator control is lost due to transsonic shock waves disturbing the air flow. What this means is the MiG pilot must take extreme caution when entering a high speed dive, because it is entirely possible to enter a regime where control is irrevocably lost. On the other hand the Saber pilot really only needs to worry about G-LOC and oscillation that occurs as the aircraft approaches the sound barrier.
What this all means is the fight between the Saber and the MiG develops into an interesting match of each pilot trying to force the other to play his game. The MiG is able to sustain airspeed better, and exploit the uphill half of the vertical better than the Saber. The Saber on the other hand is able to better capitalize on what airspeed he has, has superior exploitation of high speed situations, and a distinct advantage in the down hill portion of the vertical. The pilot that is able to best manage his energy and force the bandit into a bad situation wins⊠unless you start using tactics, which is a whole different layer of fun.
Overall the Saber has more multi-role functionality. As mentioned it has the earliest AIM-9Bs. It has a couple of different bomb options, as well as FFARs. The MiG to my knowledge âonlyâ has bombs. The MiG has a definite edge in firepower if you can get rounds on target.
I prefer the F-86 because I enjoy that⊠je ne sais quoi that atomic age American fighters have going on in the cockpit area, but theyâre both great choices. Gen 1 jet combat is just a barrel of fun, all the enjoyable bits of WWII without the pesky engine management.
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And it also means that ED needs to give us a Korea Map! Weâve got two flyable Korean War Platforms, and, once the F-14 comes out, plenty of 1980âs to early 2000s planesâŠhow many time can we conquer the CaucusesâŠBlue and Red?!
(Did you notice ho I slipped the F-14 in there to keep it on topic 
)
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So long as itâs an 80s or later representation, sure. Normandy has soured me on operating modern jets from marston mats.
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